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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26461711">the first night is always hardest.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cottontxiled/pseuds/cottontxiled'>cottontxiled</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Everyman HYBRID</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cuddling ? Kind of, F/M, Nightmares, SUPER CHOPPY, Spooky things happening via nightmare, they are all good dudes, why does anyone read my writing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:54:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,376</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26461711</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cottontxiled/pseuds/cottontxiled</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Steph's first night with the guys. She wakes up with blood under her nails, screaming her throat raw.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Evan/Jeff/Stephanie/Vinny (Everyman HYBRID), at least in the future it will be like that. this fic is an intro</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the first night is always hardest.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's all very jittery when they break her out. The backseat of Vinny's car smells like campfire smoke and she steps on leaves as she climbs in. </p><p> </p><p>Then, in the silence, Steph reveals, in a tone that would've been tinged with laughter if she hadn't been so scared, her original release date.</p><p> </p><p>And the boys have the decency to look ashamed, Evan looks down like a scolded puppy, and Jeff checks back with mournful bambi eyes, which makes Vinny begin to pontificate on it- so.. She cuts that down very quick.</p><p> </p><p>"No, no, I'm grateful, please don't um.. Please don't think I'm not." Steph says, bringing her knees up to her chin, and hugging them. "It's a little ironic is all."</p><p> </p><p>There's a few beats and Evan chuckles, which in turn, makes the boys relax. She's glad. </p><p> </p><p>"You all hungry? I'm fucking starving." Vin says, pulling aside to a restaurant.</p><p> </p><p>They disembark to head in the restaurant, and Steph shivers the whole way, the spring-thin hospital clothes she was stuck in not doing much to protect her from the brisk late November wind.</p><p> </p><p>It's a diner of some sort, complete with an LED sign and Elvis music. They are seated, and Evan immediately turns to her with alarming speed, "What do you want to eat?"</p><p> </p><p>She stammers for a moment, unfamiliar with the area and the diner, while Jeff hands her a menu. </p><p> </p><p>"She's been out for like an hour, Ev, give her a second." He chides gently, seeming the most level-headed. Steph wasn't sure what to make of him anymore, shrinking back against the vinyl seats, but accepting the menu none-the-less.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This was slowly becoming anxiety-inducing. Why <em>now</em>? Why like that? Her fight or flight was frantically gesturing to flight, telling Steph to run. To leave these boys and Jersey behind. To leave her behind. </p><p> </p><p>She clears her throat. "What's the W for?" pointing to a straw wrapper from Vin's drink, eyes creasing slightly to show she's only joking, trying to put them and herself at ease.</p><p> </p><p>Vin grins. "W. W for Wumba."</p><p> </p><p>She giggles despite herself, as Evan repeats it, and Jeff silently presses it to Evan's bicep. "W for Woman." He snickers.</p><p> </p><p>Evan gasps indignantly, trying not to giggle and break character, shaking his fist at Jeff. </p><p> </p><p>It's nice.<br/><br/></p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>On the way out, Evan hands her a jacket.</p><p> </p><p>She tries to not read too much into it, but Steph thinks about how it's faintly warm. It's heavy, and the fabric doesn't make her sick to her stomach.</p><p> </p><p>She wraps it around her and walks a little closer to the boys. </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>Then comes time to bunk down. Jeff drops off breakfast for Alex, and it's then she sees how tired he looks. He's worn down coming out of that house and he's not even been there 15 minutes.</p><p> </p><p>Vin leaves a message that his father never answers. Nor does his mother. <br/><br/></p><p>Evan's talking animatedly, but doesn't move to call or let anyone know where he is. His sister is off at college, and his parents fucked off when he was younger, from what Steph could piece together.</p><p> </p><p>She stares ahead at the white lines that appear to run up towards the car. Jessa's gone, so nobody will be coming to check up on her.</p><p> </p><p>A lump wells in her throat. Jessa's gone.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, she'd spent a year in the hospital for that. She <em>knew</em> she was gone. But now, surrounded by Jessa's friends, in Jessa's boyfriend's jacket, it hits her. Jessa's gone.</p><p> </p><p>The person who made sure she took her meds, the person who stayed up with her, who didn't mind the nightmares, or the spooky paintings. The woman who <em>chose</em> to room with her because "Nobody in college is really THAT bad, they just want you to think they are." The woman with a Gir keychain that she'd make start screaming when anyone was upset, just so they'd have something to laugh at. </p><p> </p><p>She's gone and nothing's bringing her back.</p><p> </p><p>Steph rests her head against the window and tries not to cry again.</p><p> </p><p>Later, they've all spread out across the basement. Jeff claims the couch, spreading his gangly limbs so nobody could claim it. Vinny, ever responsible, grabs pillows and blankets, while Evan curls up directly on the floor, next to Jeff. Like a dog.</p><p> </p><p>Jeff jokingly pats him like one, and Evan bites him. Even Steph, standing still and isolated, has to laugh with them. </p><p> </p><p>"Steph, just lay down anywhere," Evan advises, "But if you'd rather have a room to yourself, um, my sister's room is..-"</p><p> </p><p>"No! No, it's cool, I can sleep out here." She stops him, not wanting to be more of a bother than she was already.</p><p> </p><p>And sleep she attempts.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>A nightmarish glade opens before her, maddeningly deep green and extending as if she has tunnel vision, suddenly. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>There are children with her. One in her arms and several cling to her legs. She turns around and those children are leading children. It makes her stumble back, shocked at the amount of little beings but doubly shocked at their appearance.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>None of them had specific features but they were all dressed in very old clothing.  Bows in their hair and cotton lace. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The one in her arms is dressed normally, in a nondescript onesie, tiny little socks with tiny little feet. She feels a surge of affection until she realizes what she's really holding.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Ma!" It cooes, gnashing it's maw of black and purple teeth.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>It's a twisting, inky, eel of a child. A leech. Something that latches on to drain. She nearly drops it. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"IS THAT ANYWAY TO TREAT YOUR BABY?" Comes a dangerous purr from somewhere ahead. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>She whips around. It isn't a familiar voice but she's learned to spot danger before it strikes. A buzzing from behind her tells her that whatever's happening, she's stuck like a rabbit in a trap. Unconsciously, Steph clutches the child tighter. </em>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <br/>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"LOOK AT THEM. LOOK AT THE CHILDREN."</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>She does as directed, though very cautiously, and watches as they blip away, one by one. A tiny scream from lungs that haven't developed yet with each child that vanishes.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Steph's never been a mother. But for a second she feels like one, for a split second, she wants to scream at the thing in the dark to leave her children alone.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>She begins to feel woozy, and looks down, at where the baby has attached itself to her collarbone. Blood spurts from her in waves. She can't remove it. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>She collapses, vision tinged purple, the last thing she hears is her hellish baby screaming and the voice cackling with delight.</em>
</p><p>-</p><p>Steph wakes up with a shout, tears streaming down her face as she looks down to where she's clawed at her chest and arms, angry red welts developing, blood dotting along them.</p><p> </p><p>Jeff is by her side in the next few minutes or so. She doesn't seek him out, but doesn't push him away when his hands come around hers, gently folding them and placing them on her lap. He holds a finger up, and she hears him wander off, as Evan approaches, edging in where Jeff was.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey Steph." His voice is rough with sleep, "Hey. Um. Nightmares fuckin' suck, so you don't have to say none, but.. that was pretty angry. May I?" Jeff's returned with the med-kit, and Steph nods, sniffling and using her other hand to scrub at her face.</p><p> </p><p>Jeff talks to her in a soothing, quiet tone. He doesn't mind when she begins to lean on him, and just continues to talk. Words don't come to her then, but she recognizes he's reading from House of Leaves. It takes the attention away from the burn of disinfectant and the feeling of bandages around her. She's glad for it, exhausted and still sniffling.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, Evan pulls away, and doesn't say anything but drags his blanket over to Steph's, next to Vin, who's already there. Jeff rearranges himself on the couch. </p><p> </p><p>They sleep like that, curled in a little nest, no one person in the center and no one person left out. A true puppy-dog pile.</p><p> </p><p>It's almost reminiscent and wistful, but they aren't sure of what. All they know is how tired they are.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i would like to say i meant for this to be choppy and unfinished but i didnt, i just really hate my writing. i do love these guys tho.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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